Tag: Heidelberg MOVH

Everyone is aware that CO2 emissions are the major contributors to global warming. In the wake of such a pressing issue, Heidelberg pioneered the concept of Carbon Neutrality in all its prepress, press and postpress machines. Unveiled at Drupa 2012, this technology initiative from the house of Heidelberg caught everyone’s attention in the press industry. Here’s a quick overview of the concept, which also goes on to prove the company’s commitment towards sustainable development:

The Concept

Statistics reveal that while there are several greenhouse gases that account for climate change, carbon dioxide is the biggest culprit. There are also many CO2 equivalents that have been causing the damage. These gas emissions are a direct impact of burning fossil fuels. Heidelberg came up with the initiative to calculate the carbon footprint and subsequently neutralize the carbon gas emitted while manufacturing the machine. It achieves its goal of compensating the gas emissions by purchasing climate protection certificates. Heidelberg buys the certificates of Project Togo in Togo, West Africa, which is said to support a reforestation project.

Calculation of CO2 footprint of printing presses

After a lot of research and taking into account the international eco-balance standards, Heidelberg collaborated with the TU Darmstadt to establish a method for calculating the carbon footprint of printing presses. Several parameters were taken into account, such as energy consumption, transport, and the various materials with their specific CO2 footprint. Further, they also calculated the CO2 emissions occurred at the premises of the suppliers.

According to the calculation model, the manufacturing process of a Speedmaster XL 106-6+L gives out approximately 260 tons of carbon dioxide. Of course, this would vary depending upon the model of the equipment.

Certificate & Label

The company also has a certificate from The Fraunhofer Institut UMSICHT, which states that the company adheres to the rules for calculating the CO2 footprint for manufacturing its printing presses.